Brewer Pond wetland restoration project complete

A $580,000 Anne Arundel County-funded project to protect Brewer Pond's isolated ecosystem was completed April 19, as volunteers put the last plants in a restored tidal wetland which stretches around the pond

Long-time Sherwood Forest resident Bill Moulden calls the pond at the edge of his Severn River community the fingerprint of God.

Brewer Pond is the last pristine tidal wetland on the Severn River, according to Moulden, who made it his mission to protect the 22-acre pond about seven years ago, as its secluded nature was threatened by erosion due to sea-level rise and wave action.

Moulden's effort paid off — a $580,000 Anne Arundel County-funded project to protect the pond's isolated ecosystem was completed Wednesday, as volunteers put the last plants in a restored tidal wetland which stretches around the pond, which will prevent boats from entering the area while also adding habitat for birds, reptiles and amphibians.

"Basically, I grew up here. I'm interested in passing on what I had to the next generation," Moulden said.

The pond is a pond, and not a cove, because of a sandy peninsula and wetland, which separates the body of water from the rest of the Severn River. That wetland limits entry into the pond, preventing it from becoming a party spot for boaters and keeping the pond secluded, according to Moulden. And the secluded nature of the spot is what makes the forest behind the pond, county-owned land referred to as the Green Cathedral, a pristine place for a variety of bird species, including herons and orioles.

The tidal wetland that formed an arm around the pond was worn away over time, however, by sea-level rise and wave action, Moulden said. Rock breakwaters were installed in the early 1990s to dampen the effect, but those eventually failed as well, and erosion carved a new opening to Brewer Pond — a circumstance which threatened its pristine nature.

Moulden said in 2010 he began lobbying for a solution. Moulden was evangelical about it, he said, and that persistence paid off, as Anne Arundel County funded a $580,000 wetland restoration effort to restore the wetland several years later.

Work on the tidal wetland restoration began in October, according to Moulden. Landscape architect Underwood and Associates, the ecological restoration firm which completed the work, expanded the stone breakwaters and placed new sand on the footprint of the old peninsula. Native plant species, including seaside golden rod, cardinal flower, smooth cordgrass and salt meadow hay, were added to help stabilize the peninsula.

The final plants were put in the project by volunteers on Wednesday to celebrate its completion.

County Executive Steve Schuh, who Moulden credited with prioritizing the project, gave brief remarks at the planting event.

"In a little while we'll be planting some Atlantic white cedars, which at one time were plentiful in this part of the world, and today is a threatened species of trees," Schuh said. "That is a symbolic act that I think is important, and it points to the importance that all of us place on preserving our environment and making our community healthier for generations to come."

Anne Arundel County Councilman Chris Trumbauer also spoke, noting his connection to the area, where he would visit to complete water quality monitoring for the Department of Natural Resources.

"Steve and I don't always agree on everything, but we both agree, Brewer's Pond is an amazing place and we are very happy to have both have played a role in helping to preserve it," Trumbauer said.

In addition to protecting the pond, the project will also boost habitat for reptiles such as diamondback terrapins, Moulden said.

Several dozen people gathered for the planting event, many of whom said they lived in Sherwood Forest and attended the Sherwood Forest Boys and Girls Camp in the past. Moulden directed the camp for 13 years before retiring in 2015.

Some adult volunteers recalled the state of the peninsula from their own time as campers, noting its deterioration over the years and commenting that the project has restored it to what they remember from past decades.

Kevin Elion took his daughters Sadie and Josie to the planting Wednesday, which he called a good experience for the girls.

"They can look back and know they were involved in it," Elion said. "Hopefully they will bring their own kids here."